Chapter 182 [VIP]
During her time back, Wang Ying took Lin Sui to look around at shops. Due to the impact of the war, not only did property prices rise, but shop prices also increased accordingly.
Previously, the most expensive shops on Zhenghe Street cost no more than three or four hundred taels a year, while the cheapest only cost a few dozen taels. This was because business was difficult here, and there were too many local bullies. If you didn't manage to deal with them properly, you wouldn't be able to handle all the troublemakers.
However, recently there have been more merchants from other places, and many of them have rented shops on Zhenghe Street to start businesses, which has caused the prices of shops here to rise as a result.
Wang Ying inquired at several places, and the prices ranged from three hundred to four hundred taels of silver. This price was really not cheap, so she had to wait for Cao Kun to arrive so that Lin Sui could discuss it with them again.
The lease on her small shop expires in October, so Wang Ying replenished the ice storage with several thousand blocks of ice before the lease expired, so the shop could continue operating normally after he left.
Besides the family of three, they also had to bring several servants with them to Kyoto. Uncle Chen was too old to travel, and he originally wanted to bring Ershun, but his wife had just given birth not long ago, so it would be inconvenient to separate the two of them.
In the end, they decided to take Tianju and Ma Zhandong with them, along with Chunsheng and Mutou, who were taking care of Yuanbao.
These two older kids can be a lot of help, especially Chunsheng, who is now twelve years old and a big boy. He is very observant and hardworking, so having them around can save a lot of trouble.
The only thing missing is a cook. Aunt Chen is too old to stay at home, so we'll hire a cook when we get to Kyoto.
With all arrangements made, we set off for Kyoto on June 28th.
*
Before leaving, Yuanbao clung to Li Shi's neck for a long time, reluctant to let go. "Grandmother, Yuanbao won't be home, so you must take good care of yourself."
"Oh, Grandmother knows." Li couldn't help but tear up, but then turned her head away, afraid the child would see.
The little guy kissed her cheek. "When I come back, I'll buy you lots of delicious food and new clothes."
"Okay, Grandma will be waiting for you." This child is so thoughtful, no wonder Madam Li dotes on him.
It was getting late. Wang Ying took the child and carried him onto the carriage. Li Shi couldn't hold back her tears and held Chen Qingyan's hand, repeatedly telling him, "When you get out there, you must take good care of Yuanbao and Aying. You also need to take good care of yourself."
"I will, Mother, don't worry. When we're not here, this family will be in your care."
"Don't worry, if there's an emergency I can't handle, I'll go to Qingyun. If all else fails, there are still the guards left by the Marquis, so everything will be alright."
"Then we'll be going."
"Go on your journey, have a safe trip."
The family boarded the carriage. Tianju cracked his whip and shouted, and the horse's hooves clattered. Their loved ones fell further and further behind them. Wang Ying's eyes stung, and he quickly lowered the carriage curtain, afraid that if he looked any longer, he would be unable to resist getting out of the carriage with Yuanbao and refusing to move.
Yuanbao pouted and shed tears, quietly nestled on his shoulder, looking incredibly pitiful.
Chen Qingyan, on the other hand, didn't seem too sad about the separation. He reassured the two of them, saying, "I'll take my New Year's holiday, and we'll come back then."
Wang Ying asked, "How long is the leave?"
"I haven't asked about that yet, but I heard Changyi mention it before. It seems that officials have a family visit leave every year, usually about a month. If the family is particularly far away, they will be given more leave as appropriate."
"It's only been a month. It takes half a month to travel from Kyoto to Jizhou. There's no time to stop during the round trip."
Chen Qingyan ruffled his hair helplessly, "Then let's wait a few years until Qingsong finishes the imperial examination, and then bring Mother and the others over."
"I'm afraid she won't want to leave Jizhou when the time comes. After a while, my third aunt and the others will move here, and the two of them will keep each other company. She probably won't even remember us."
"That would be best, otherwise I'm worried she'll get sick from the heat."
The carriage swayed and rocked along the official road, making Yuanbao a little sleepy. Taking advantage of the fact that there was no one else in the carriage, Wang Ying carried him directly into the experimental field.
It was packed with luggage. Laying out the bedding and placing it on the suitcase made a small bed, which made the child feel safe sleeping inside.
After traveling for more than ten days, they finally arrived in Kyoto on the tenth day of the seventh lunar month.
The inspection upon entering the city was very thorough. The city's clerk checked Chen Qingyan's travel permit, documents, and household registration before allowing him to pass.
The carriage passed through the narrow passageway and entered the capital city. Wang Ying lifted the curtain and looked out. The bustling scene in the distance dazzled him.
Compared to the capital of Jizhou Prefecture, it was much more bustling and prosperous. On the wide main road, carriages came and went in an endless stream, and there were street vendors selling food, sundries, and soliciting customers.
As soon as the carriage entered the city, four or five errand runners surrounded them, asking if they could find a place to stay.
Ma Zhandong quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, we're here to visit relatives."
After everyone dispersed, the carriage continued towards the city. This time, since they had brought their families, they couldn't trouble Lord Liu any further. They first found an inn to stay in, and after settling in, they would go into the city to look around and buy a small courtyard.
The inn she stayed at was called Tongfu Inn. The name reminded Wang Ying of a TV series she had watched in her previous life. Coincidentally, the innkeeper was also a woman, but unfortunately, she wasn't surnamed Tong.
Wang Ying was astonished to learn that a superior room, two rooms, and several shared beds cost more than three strings of cash a day. Prices in the capital were even higher than in the prefectural city, proving that living in such a large city was indeed not easy.
After settling in, Chen Qingyan took Wang Ying and Yuanbao to visit the Liu family. They had stayed at Lord Liu's residence for a long time before and had taken a lot of things from the visit.
When they arrived, Lord Liu wasn't home, only Madam Liu was. Seeing that they had brought so many things, she couldn't help but say a few words, "We're all relatives, there's no need to be so polite. Have you found a place to stay?"
Wang Ying said, "We'll stay at the inn for now and take advantage of the few days we have to explore the city. We don't know how much the housing prices are in Kyoto yet, but we're planning to buy a small courtyard house."
"If you're buying a house, I'll have Liu Bo show you around tomorrow. He's familiar with Kyoto and knows people there, so you won't get scammed."
Wang Ying said gratefully, "That would be wonderful!"
Madam Liu looked at the little boy with great fondness and pulled him over to ask his age, "How old are you?"
"He's four years old this year, and his zodiac sign is Dragon."
“Oh my, how adorable! My grandson is the same age as him, but we’ve never met before. They can play together when they come back from their posts next year.”
Madam Liu then inquired about Qingyun, "Isn't Changyi's wife quite far along in her pregnancy?"
"I'm almost eight months pregnant, and I'm doing very well; I can eat and sleep well."
“She is a blessed person. It’s a pity that I couldn’t go to see them get married. My mother-in-law and I will definitely go back for the full moon celebration this time.”
After exchanging a few pleasantries, it was getting late, so the two got up to leave. Madam Liu wanted them to stay for a meal, but Wang Ying waved her hand and declined. "I just arrived, and I haven't had time to unpack all my things in the carriage. I'll definitely come and bother you again next time I have the chance."
"Then we won't keep you any longer. Liu'er, go and call Liu Bo over."
Before long, the head steward of the Liu family came over, and Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan greeted him politely.
Madam Liu said, "Tomorrow, take them to the city to see if there are any suitable houses."
"Yes." Liu Bo escorted the two to the gate, inquired about the inn they were staying at, and arranged to meet them at Chenshi (7-9 AM) the next day.
It has to be said that having acquaintances in Kyoto is very convenient. If Wang Ying had to figure it out on his own, it would have taken him four or five days to find out the details. With the help of Steward Liu, he was taken to several brokerage firms in Kyoto the next day.
"These brokerage firms are all top-notch in the capital. They are convenient for you to rent or buy a house. The official brokerage firms sell houses at slightly higher prices, but the locations are all top-notch, which will be convenient for Young Master Lin to attend school in the future. The private brokerage firms sell houses at slightly lower prices, but the locations are farther away. You can choose according to your needs."
Wang Ying first followed Steward Liu to the official brokerage firm. The brokerage firms in the capital were similar to those in the prefectural city, with various wooden signs hanging on them, indicating the location, size, internal structure, and so on.
The houses here are incredibly diverse, ranging from former royal mansions occupying half a street to tiny courtyard houses. Prices vary from hundreds of thousands to several thousand taels of silver. Historically, housing in the capital has never been cheap, making it truly difficult to find a suitable place.
Because of Steward Liu's presence, the brokers and managers at the brokerage were extremely polite. This was like a seventh-rank official before the prime minister's gate; even though he was just the steward of the Liu family, he was still someone many people couldn't curry favor with.
After searching for a long time, Wang Ying still couldn't find one she liked, as most of the prices were beyond her budget. She planned to spend 3,000 taels to buy a small courtyard house with one courtyard, or 5,000 taels to buy a two-courtyard house. However, the smallest courtyard house with one courtyard cost 4,700 taels. Most importantly, there was no well in the house, so she had to go out to fetch water.
Isn't this ridiculous? After all that hard work, I'm living a miserable life in Kyoto.
Liu Bo said, "If you don't find anything you like, sir, let's go to a private brokerage. They have more ordinary houses there, and the prices are relatively more affordable."
Thank you for your help.
"You're too kind, sir." The two got into the carriage and went to a relatively large private brokerage firm in the city.
As soon as I entered, the shopkeeper trotted out to greet me. "Manager Liu, what brings you here?"
Liu Bo said, "This is my master's cousin's husband. He wants to buy a house in the prefectural city, and my wife asked me to accompany him around."
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper immediately greeted him with a beaming smile, "Please come in, sir. How big of a courtyard would you like to buy?"
Wang Ying thought for a moment and said, "A small courtyard with two courtyards will do, with its own entrance and preferably a well in the courtyard."
"Yes, yes, yes, please wait a moment, I'll go get the booklet right away." The shopkeeper jogged in, his flesh rippling with every step.
A short while later, he came over with a booklet. "This booklet lists all two-courtyard houses. The prices vary depending on the location. It includes houses on all streets except Xuanwu Street." Xuanwu Street is located to the north, where the imperial city is situated. The surrounding area consists mainly of royal gardens, temples, and princely residences and princess residences. There are very few houses available for sale.
Wang Ying took the booklet and flipped through it. There were quite a few houses, and each one had a blueprint, making the layout and structure of the yard clear at a glance.
After flipping through a couple of pages, Wang Ying picked one that looked good. The layout was similar to the houses in the prefectural city, with a small courtyard of two sections, but it wasn't as spacious as the ones in the prefectural city.
"How much does this courtyard cost?"
The brokerage owner examined the room carefully and said, "This room would cost six thousand taels of silver if anyone else bought it, no bargaining. But since you are a relative of Lord Liu, the price will definitely be negotiated down to the most favorable rate, at least five thousand three hundred taels."
Wang Ying asked Liu Bo, "How is it?"
"The price is acceptable, but I don't know what the house is like. If it's an old and dilapidated house, it won't be worth the price."
“Our brokerage firm has never sold a bad house. If you have time, sir, I’ll take you there to have a look.”
Wang Ying was indeed free, but she didn't know if Steward Liu was available. "Why don't you go ahead and do your work? I'll go with the manager to take a look."
"Alright, but make sure to give our young master some real benefits, since he's a legitimate relative of our adults!"
"Don't worry, Steward Liu, I will make sure to arrange everything properly for you, young master."
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